Ralph Goodale: Canada Must Become A Leader In Countering Radicalization

MONTREAL — Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale says Canada must strive to become a global leader in understanding and countering radicalization.

He says the death last week of a man in Strathroy, Ont., who was suspected of planning a terrorist attack demonstrates the need for "continued vigilance" in responding to threats posed by those who have radicalized to the point of violence.

He says the federal government is working to create a new national office for community outreach and engagement that will help combat radicalization.

Goodale made his comments after visiting a centre in Montreal on Monday that works to prevent radicalization leading to violence.

Last week, the RCMP revealed that it was the FBI and not the Mounties who discovered a video that led them to Aaron Driver in Strathroy, who police said had threatened to detonate an explosive in an urban centre.

Driver died Wednesday night after a confrontation with police that saw a bomb detonated in a taxi cab. It's not known whether he died from the blast or from a police bullet.

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Terror Suspect Aaron Driver Killed In Police Confrontation

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Aaron Driver was confirmed dead after a police operation in Strathroy, Ont. on Aug. 11, 2016.

Police said they received credible information of a potential terrorist threat earlier in the day.

RCMP confronted the suspect as he fled the house into the back seat of a waiting taxi, where an improvised explosive device suddenly detonated, injuring the cabbie.
Driver was subsequently killed, either by the explosion or police gunfire.

Police said the suspect allegedly planned to carry out a suicide bombing mission in a Canadian city but didn't specify which one.

The RCMP, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and other police and security agencies were involved in the operation that surrounded Driver's home.

Driver, originally from Winnipeg and in his mid-20s, was under a court order not to associate with any terrorist organization.